MyPetGuid transparency
How We Test
We label every pick by the evidence behind it.
No fake testing. No paid rankings. Tradeoffs shown before you click.
Last updated: July 2026
Our operating rules
Brands cannot buy rankings
No paid placements, badges, star ratings, or product positions.
We don't say tested unless tested
Hands-on testing gets labeled. Research-only picks stay labeled researched.
Tradeoffs are required
Every recommendation needs a catch, limitation, or best-fit context.
Corrections are welcome
Readers can report stale prices, broken links, product changes, or errors.
As of July 2026, every pick on this site is labeled Researched. None carries the Tested label yet — we have not physically tested them, and we'd rather say that plainly than imply testing that didn't happen. As hands-on testing begins, individual reviews will be upgraded and labeled.
Our review process
- 1
Identify the owner problem
Every review starts from a real question ("my senior dog struggles to get up"), not from a product a brand wants covered.
- 2
Build the candidate list
The widely available products in the category — bestsellers, category veterans, and credible newcomers.
- 3
Compare structured data
Specs, materials, sizes, prices, availability, verified-owner reviews, and safety notes — same fields for every candidate, not marketing copy.
- 4
Check manufacturer claims
Brand claims are checked against AAFCO statements, published guidelines, warranty terms, and owner-reported outcomes.
- 5
Label the tradeoffs
Every pick ships with its catch stated up front. A product without listed cons doesn't get published.
- 6
Update when reality changes
Prices, availability, formulas, and recalls all trigger re-review — see the cadence below.
What we compare, by category
Food
- • AAFCO life-stage statement
- • Manufacturer standards (WSAVA)
- • Feeding trials where available
- • Calories per cup
- • Cost per day
- • Recall context
Beds
- • Foam type & thickness
- • Cover material
- • Machine-washability
- • Real-world sizing
- • Warranty length
- • Owner-reported flattening
Crates
- • Sizing range
- • Latch & door design
- • Fold-flat portability
- • Escape resistance
- • Divider availability
Litter
- • Dust level
- • Tracking
- • Clump strength
- • Odor control
- • Scent (or lack of it)
- • Bag/box weight
Cat trees & scratchers
- • Stability under a leaping cat
- • Height
- • Sisal quality (woven vs. rope)
- • Footprint
- • Replacement parts
What "tested" means — and our other labels
We only use the word tested when a product has been physically used or directly evaluated by our team or a named contributor. Everything else gets an honest lower label:
Physically used or directly evaluated by our team or a named contributor. Notes kept on file and summarized in the review.
Structured desk research: specs normalized into our database, compared against every rival, checked against verified-owner reviews. Our current default.
Driven primarily by measurable specifications — dimensions, materials, capacity, calories — rather than subjective judgment.
Reflects the consistent pattern across large volumes of verified-buyer reviews, not our own use.
Used only when a pick was checked against published veterinary-organization guidance (e.g. WSAVA) or AAFCO statements — never as a blanket credential.
How rankings are decided
Winners are chosen on, in rough order of weight:
- Product quality and build, as evidenced by specs and owner reports
- Safety — conservative calls on anything health- or safety-adjacent
- Fit for the use case the review is answering
- Price and value, including cost per day/month where it applies
- Availability — a great product you can't buy doesn't help
- Owner-reported issues at scale (flattening, wobble, escapes, dust)
- Warranty and manufacturer support
Affiliate commission rates play no role — picks are made before merchant links are attached (see the Editorial Policy).
Update cadence
We revisit major buying guides at least every 6 months, or sooner when prices, availability, recalls, formula changes, or product-quality reports warrant it. Here is exactly how current our pricing is — and how current it is not:
Recorded once
Every price is read off the retailer's listing when we write the entry, and the date we read it is shown on the product page. We do not poll for price changes.
Check before you buy
Amazon prices move daily, so treat ours as a guide to what a product costs, not a live quote. The price on Amazon at checkout is the real one.
Report an issue
Spot an error, an outdated price, a broken link, or a product change we missed? Corrections make the site better for everyone; material corrections are noted on the affected page.
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